The 10 Best Hardwood Floors For Your Home

Are you considering hardwood flooring for your home but unsure where to begin? 

Hardwood flooring offers a unique beauty that other types of flooring, such as laminate or vinyl, strive to imitate. Hardwood floors look great after years of use and add to the home’s value, which is also a choice for homeowners looking to sell. But picking the best hardwood floors for your home or business can be overwhelming with so many great options to choose from.

To help you with that, let’s start with what you should know about hardwood flooring before buying any. After that, we will share a list of the best hardwood floors, considering quality, durability, and cost.

Solid vs Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood is a kind of hardwood flooring made from a solid piece of natural wood. Depending on the type of wood and its maintenance, it will last a lifetime. Its drawbacks are that it can scratch easily and has no moisture resistance, so it’s not recommended for basements or bathrooms. 

Engineered hardwood, on the other hand, is composed of multiple layers, anywhere between 3 and 9 layers. Engineered floors may not last a lifetime, but with proper care, they can last 40-80 years. In contrast to solid hardwood, these floors can better handle moisture and scratch less.

The cost is a factor, too; solid costs almost double the price of engineered hardwood.  

Hardness of Hardwood Flooring

If you have pets, kids, or heavy foot traffic in your home, you want to choose a hardwood floor that can withstand the wear and tear. 

The Janka scale helps us with that. It measures the resistance of each wood type to wear and denting using units called pound-force (lbf). The higher the rating, the more durable the wood is.

To help you visualize this, let’s break it down for easy reference:

• Low hardness (below 800 lbf) suits areas with light foot traffic, like bedrooms or closets.
• Medium hardness (800 to 1,600 lbf) is suitable for most homes because this range can handle moderate foot traffic. It’s perfect for living and dining rooms with some activity but no constant heavy use.
• High hardness (above 1,600 lbf) is best for high-traffic areas or commercial spaces. If you have active kids, large dogs, or a busy household, these woods will stand up to the challenge, minimizing dents and scratches.

Finished vs. Unfinished Hardwood Flooring

Finished (also called prefinished) hardwood comes stained when you buy it, offering convenience and a ready-to-use floor. On the other hand, if you prefer to choose the stain for your new floor or want a more customized look, unfinished hardwood is your best bet.

Color and customization options

The color of the flooring is the first thing everyone notices. You can find anything from dark to light colors that fit your taste or go well with the furniture. 

Even if you don’t like the natural color of a certain wood type but still want it for its benefits and durability, don’t forget staining is an option. Just remember that each type of wood accepts stain differently.

Types of Hardwood Floors

Let’s get into our list of top 10 best hardwood floors.

#10. Teak

Teak is an exotic wood full of natural oils, giving it a lustrous sheen even without much finish. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but this wood makes a statement.

It’s really important to note, however, that when we talk about teak, we’re often talking about two different types of flooring—“traditional teak” and “Brazilian teak”. Brazilian teak is actually Cumaru, which differs in many ways from traditional teak.

Brazilian teak ranks over 3500 on the Janka Scale (very durable), whereas traditional teak ranks around 1000 (moderately durable).

Traditional teak wood is honey-brown, with a straight grain pattern. Brazilian teak, on the other hand, varies from golden to red, with a very noticeable grain pattern. 

But whichever teak you prefer, make absolutely sure to only buy it from a Forest Stewardship Council-certified source. Illegal teak harvesting presents a major issue, and you definitely don’t want to contribute to that.

Pricing for Teak Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Teak Hardwood ranges from $10 to $15 per square foot.
• Engineered Teak Hardwood starts at around $8 per square foot.

#9. Oak

Oak is one of the most popular woods you’ll see in the USA. In fact, it’s probably what you think of when you think of hardwood flooring. As with teak, however, there are actually two different types of oak that are commonly used for flooring. 

Red oak is a bit warmer, with reddish undertones, a good amount of grain variation, and a Janka rating of 1290. White oak is a bit cooler, with gray undertones, a more uniform look, and a Janka rating of 1360.

Fun fact: with well over a dozen subspecies in the US alone, red oak flooring is so common, it’s thought of as the industry median for hardness. 

Pricing for Oak Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Oak Hardwood ranges from $4 to $8 per square foot.
• Engineered Oak Hardwood starts at about $2.50 per square foot.

#8. Walnut

As with teak, you can find both “traditional” walnut—aka American Black Walnut—and Brazilian Walnut, or Ipe.

American walnut is a softer choice for hardwood as its Janka rating is 1010, whereas Brazilian walnut rates a whopping 3600. When we talk walnut, though, we’re usually talking about the domestic variety, which boasts a rich dark chocolate color and detailed, open grain. For a luxurious choice, walnut is an absolutely fantastic option. 

Pricing for Walnut Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Walnut Hardwood typically ranges from $5 to $9 per square foot.
• Engineered Walnut Hardwood costs about $3.50 per square foot.

#7. Hickory

Hickory has a strong Janka rating of 1820, and it’s a good choice if you want wood that’s overflowing with character. It has an incredibly complex and varied grain, so it looks especially great cut into long planks that show it off.

Hickory is quite durable and flexible with a coarse grain. And since it’s a dry wood, it accepts finishes readily.

Pricing for Hickory Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Hickory Hardwood is priced from $3 to $7 per square foot.
• Engineered Hickory Hardwood is available starting at $3.40 per square foot.

#6. Maple

Second only to oak in terms of popularity, maple has a Janka rating of 1450. It comes in pale, creamy-white, and reddish-brown variations, and each one is more beautiful than the next.

Maple’s grain is usually straight, but can sometimes lean toward wavy. The texture, on the other hand, is quite fine. How fine? It’s usually used for basketball courts! Oh, and there’s a Brazilian version of maple as well. It’s Janka rating is only a tiny bit higher than the domestic product, though.

Pricing for Maple Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Maple Hardwood is priced from $4.50 to $8.50 per square foot.
• Engineered Maple Hardwood is available starting at $4.75 per square foot.

#5. Mahogany

If you wanted your home to smell of leather-bound books and rich mahogany, we wouldn’t blame you. This exotic choice scores a Janka rating of 2697—and while it may be pricey (exotic woods are almost always a bit more expensive than domestic), it’s worth every penny thanks to its rich, beautiful, wavy grain.

Pricing for Mahogany Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Mahogany Hardwood Flooring is priced from $5.89 to $7.89 per square foot.
• Engineered Mahogany Hardwood Flooring is available starting at $4.89 per square foot.

#4. Cork

Ok, so fun fact: cork isn’t actually hardwood at all! Rather, it comes from the bark of the cork tree. But since it’s a tree-based product and is sold/installed like a hardwood, we thought we’d include it on this list anyway. 

Almost all of the best cork flooring products sold today are soft, comfortable, and surprisingly durable. Truly—while there are pros and cons of cork flooring, durability is not one of the latter. Cork has a springy, warm feel to it, and given that it’s made from tree bark rather than heartwood, it’s an incredible sustainable flooring option.

Pricing for Cork Flooring:

• Cork Flooring is priced from $3 to $9 per square foot.

#3. Birch

Birch will be wavy or curly, but it’ll maintain an even texture and gorgeous, light warmth color. It’s Janka rating depends on the subspecies, but whatever it is, it’s durable—yellow birch (the most common) has a rating of 1260, while sweet birch has a rating of 1470. 

Birch’s straight grain and fine texture make it great for long planks, and its coloration can run a huge gambit, making it surprisingly versatile.

Pricing for Birch Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Birch Hardwood Flooring is priced from $3.00 to $6.79 per square foot.
• Engineered Birch Hardwood Flooring is available starting at $2.89 per square foot.

#2. Cypress

When we talk about cypress floors, we’re talking Australian cypress (because domestic cypress isn’t strong enough for flooring).

The Australian version has a Janka rating of 1375—and it’s absolutely lovely. With colors ranging from honey-gold to brown and cream, cypress is notoriously full of knots. If you want a complex floor with a ton of personality, this might be a good way to go. 

Plus: cypress isn’t a particularly common choice, so if you’re looking for ideas on how to replace flooring with something interesting and unusual, it’s worth taking a look.

Pricing for Cypress Hardwood Flooring:

• Solid Australian Cypress Flooring is priced at around $15 per square foot.
• Engineered Cypress Hardwood Flooring is priced from $4 to $7 per square foot.

#1. Bamboo

Ok, ok, we know—bamboo isn’t a true hardwood either. It’s actually woody grass! But like hardwood, most of your best bamboo flooring options can be purchased as solid or engineered planks. To that end, it’s often thought of as a hardwood flooring option.

Why is bamboo so awesome? 

First of all, it’s durable. Strand-woven bamboo can hit well over 4,000 on the Janka Scale. That’s insanely tough! And if you want to see how bamboo compares to other durable surfaces, do some research on bamboo flooring vs. laminate; the results are super impressive.

Even better, bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly flooring options around. Stalks grow to maturity within 3–5 years (as opposed to dozens for hardwoods), so it can be cultivated more often. 

Pricing for Bamboo Flooring:

• Solid bamboo hardwood typically costs between $2 and $5 per square foot.
• Engineered bamboo hardwood starts at about $2 per square foot.

Conclusion

So what are the best hardwood floors for your home? In the end, your personal taste is all that matters! Maybe you love maple’s fine grain; maybe you love mahogany’s rich texture; maybe you want the knotty complexity of cypress.

Do you want an engineered product? A solid floor? Finished? Unfinished? Again, it’s up to you, and the possibilities are endless. One thing is for sure—you’re going to want to have someone who knows what they’re doing help you. You can use our flooring stores near me tool to find a local retailer in your area who can do just that!